Writer Andrea Bajani wins Italy's biggest literary prize

Italian writer Andrea Bajani has been announced as the big winner of the 2025 Strega Prize, Italy's top literary honor. The 49-year-old won the award for his book "L'anniversario" ("The Anniversary"), published by Feltrinelli.

"I have been publishing books for 22 years. I am grateful to everyone who believed in me, readers and publishers," said Bajani about his victory at Strega, having already had his name associated with the same award on other occasions: this year, he was also honored with the edition of the award aimed at young people and in 2021, he was a finalist for Strega in the main category and for the Campiello award, at the same time, with "Il libro delle case" ("The book of houses").

In "L'anniversario", a work that mixes romance and autofiction, the author presents the plots of an oppressive family from two sides: "on one side, the story of domestic hell; on the other, the distancing of those who believe they can tell their own version of all this. The idea of ​​escape is always within the idea of ​​guilt", says Bajani.

For the Roman writer, the mission of "literature is to contradict the official version".